by T. R. Harris
They were near the side of the house, within the security lights and impossible for him to reach without being seen. Zac felt a pile of pebble stones under his feet making up most of the riverbank in this area. He knelt and took several of the larger ones in his hands. Then taking aim, he threw one of the stones. It flew away at nearly supersonic speed, aided by his activated REV muscles. It was also true on target, smashing into the side of a trooper’s head, dropping him like, well, a rock. Zac was already releasing the other two. Six commandos were down, with many more to go.
Just then, he was bathed in light from above. A silent, hovering craft was in the sky, while a second one had also lit up its lamps, sending blinding beams of white light to the back of the house. There was more shouting, as well as the streaks of beam weapons, not aimed at him but others.
He took a beam weapon and targeted the light on the hovercraft above. It went out. But then the second craft slid over. He did the same to that light. But there were more aircraft in the sky. The night was awash with light. Zac began taking out commandos on the deck and even a few who ran from inside the house toward the sounds of the battle taking place outside.
And then a clear, familiar voice rose above the din.
“Zac Murphy! Stop! It is over. Surrender now, or your friend dies.”
Zac looked to the circular-shaped end of the deck, the part that extended over the water. Kallen Zaphin was standing in the light, his arm wrapped around Darion’s neck and with a beam weapon aimed at her head. Skor was a few feet away, being guarded by other troops. The bodies of the rest of Zac’s party were unceremoniously dragged onto the deck and thrown down, forming a pile of muddy corpses.
Zac crouched in what shadows he could find. He was mostly exposed, but he knew Kallen wanted him alive. He wasn’t worried.
With his excellent aim, Zac could take out Kallen, even with him hiding behind Darion. But with the Antaerean dead, the commandos would open fire, killing him, as well as his native friends. He hesitated.
“Surrender, or I will kill your friend,” Kallen repeated.
“Go ahead; she’s not my friend. She’s an alien, and you know how I feel about aliens.”
“You forget, I know you better than anyone, Zac Murphy. I do not believe you.”
“If you kill her, I’ll drop you where you stand.”
“And there is our dilemma. But consider: Surrender, or die. You only have two choices. You know the Azloreans have weapons that can cut you to pieces.”
Zac noticed another familiar face on the deck, that of Torin Nassmar. Zac could take him out without a second thought—
“You do not want to die like this,” Kallen yelled. “Just think, should you surrender, you will have more time to formulate a new escape strategy. If you die here, you will not. It is many months before Earth is destroyed, a lifetime for many. There is no honor in dying here. Live with hope, or die with none.”
Dammit, the yellow-skinned bastard had a point. Zac never called it quits until all options had been exhausted.
“Okay! Don’t shoot. I’m coming out.”
He rose out of the shadows and dropped the beam weapon, along with the knife he had in his belt.
Kallen turned to Nassmar. Zac’s enhanced hearing heard him say, “I told you I understand Humans.” Then to others: “Chain him well. You saw what creatures like him are capable of at the arena.”
Troopers ran toward him; the first thing they did was snap another security collar around his neck. Then came hand shackles. They kept his feet and legs free so he could walk. They began leading him toward the deck.
And that was when Kallen Zaphin put a beam through Darion’s brain, and shortly after, through Skor’s, as well.
Shock covered Nassmar’s face, along with a little blood from the victims.
“They knew too much,” said Kallen calmly.
Anger swelled in Adam. He pushed off with his legs and scaled the side of the deck in a single leap. His hands grasped the railing and propelled him over, heading for the Antaerean.
In all the time Zac had worn a security collar, he’d never actually experienced one go off. Now he did.
Night turned into day, and his eyesight shook as if he was in a blender looking out. He felt no pain—REVs didn’t feel pain—but he did lose control of his muscles. His blood pressure soared, and blood ran from his nose, ears and mouth. His still gyrating body fell hard to the wooden deck at the feet of Kallen Zaphin. Zac twisted his neck to look up at the alien, just as his vision faded to black.
Chapter 22
“Success!” Amber’s voice boomed from the intercom system aboard the Seken mothership. “I have found him.”
Angus and Ashley were in the galley, having figured out how to program the computers to prepare Human-compatible food days before. The diarrhea had passed, and the Human crew was feeling better. Angus was surprised a REV could even get diarrhea until Dr. Cross reminded him that it was probably some kind of food poisoning that would have killed a normal Human.
Remote comm units had been fabricated into their Seken disguises so Angus could communicate with Amber directly.
“Where is he?” he asked.
“The newscasts are reporting that the fugitive Human has been recaptured after a bloody battle north of the city of Sanfor. He is being returned to the security building under heavy guard and with much fanfare.”
“Sanfor, that’s the capital,” Ashley stated. “We know where the main security building is located in the city.”
The team had been concentrating on Sanfor ever since they learned it was from there that Zac escaped. It hadn’t been hard to identify the various government buildings in the city center.
“Where can we land nearby?” Anton asked.
“There is a central park,” Amber answered. “It is late night in that part of Voris. I will be able to drop in stealth mode and drop you off before returning to orbit to await your call.”
“Good,” Angus said. “Gear up. There’s no time to waste.”
Kallen Zaphin took great pride in parading the terrorist Zac Murphy through the hallways of the security building. They came in through the underground entrance below the arch-shaped where the security division’s main offices were found. With Torin Nassmar leading the way, the small entourage entered an elevator tube and moved up into the building to where the Director had his office. The Director’s name was Danor Sal’nefron.
Kallen had met the Director several times before; he was an integral part of the plan to create a war with the Humans. He couldn’t say he liked the Azlorean any more than he did any of the natives. But he was an extremely powerful being and came in handy during the initial planning. It was also through his active role that most of the protests had been shut down as news got out about Kallen and Nassmar. Nassmar, and to a lesser degree, Kallen, had been raked over the coals by the Director for their careless meeting. It was better not to speak of such things, even amongst each other. But now, with the recapture of the Human, things could get back on track. The fleet would leave in three days. Kallen knew that Danor would be anxious to be rid of both him and Zac Murphy.
The Director occupied the premier bubble office in the structure, at the very pinnacle, and with a breathtaking view across the city and the snow-capped mountains to the north. He was standing near the window looking out when the others entered. He turned and dismissed Zac with the wave of a six-fingered hand, telling the guards to place him in interview room nine and under constant guard. Then he turned to his two remaining guests.
“A careless and dangerous episode,” he began. “Let us hope it is over. There are still rumblings among the population. I suspect many believe what the Human said; they are just afraid to admit it.”
“Let them believe,” said Nassmar. “What we do is for the future glory of the Azlorean race. Even if the truth does come out, many will consider the cost small for the potential rewards. One day, Azloreans will rule the galaxy, and it all started here, with the sacrifice of
a few million citizens.”
“Say what you will, Torin, but I fear the road ahead will not be as easy as you describe. We still have the Seken to contend with.”
“They will do as we expect. They are without ambition, driven only by the need for vengeance. Once that vengeance is satiated, they will return home with no interest in the territory they have taken from the Humans. That is when we will claim it for our own.”
“But the Seken are fickle and easily offended. For several generations, we have danced around their demands, hoping not to upset them.”
“We are as powerful as they are, maybe more so,” Nassmar pointed out. “Our fear may be unfounded.”
“That may be true, but it’s the Seken single-mindedness that is the issue. Once offended, there can be no turning back. I am surprised their race is still around, having not been wiped out by some other enemy in the distant past.”
“All you need to do is not offend them,” Kallen spoke up.
Danor eyed the yellow-skinned alien with open contempt. “It seems your plan may be coming to fruition, Antaerean. That is good. However, from now on, it will be the Azloreans who managed the operation. Your job here is done. As has been agreed, my people will enlist the help of the Antaere with managing the Grid, as well as utilizing your knowledge of other regions of space. But you will only serve as advisors, not decision-makers. For that, we will look to the guidance of the Sacred Knowers.”
“I understand completely, Director Sal’nefron.”
“Now, you are free to take the Human. Join the fleet; it leaves in three days. And this time, keep your pet on a shorter leash.”
Kallen grinned and nodded; even as his mind was screaming, It was the Azloreans who lost Murphy in the first place.
The team landed in the Central Park without incident, although the jump did tear up a decent section of the grass near a large, circular fountain. Then Amber was off, the Dart still visible to the naked eye while invisible to detection equipment. The black ship was gone into the night sky fifteen seconds after the team disembarked.
The five REVs were dressed in traditional Seken garb of flowing yellow and red robes, with various markings on the garments signifying rank, and their skin dyed a light purple. Since Ashley, Anton and Monica spoke Seken, they took the lead, with Angus and Cross serving as guards and no need to speak unless spoken to. Amber had translated the Azlorean language during the day the mothership had been in orbit and had translators programmed. Synthesizers in their disguises would create the language for broadcast. It was just that the words spoken by the Humans had to be in Seken before they could be properly translated.
They had plenty of Seken money, thanks to the prisoners aboard the mothership, but they shouldn’t need any. They were within walking distance of the security building.
They set off in the dark, traveling as a unit with purpose and dignity. After all, they were Seken, and no creatures in the universe were more perfect than a Seken. At least according to the Seken.
There were other Seken on Voris; there had been for a couple of centuries. But because of their irascible temper and literal attitude, most Azloreans avoided them. And the Seken were not social animals. They regarded every race as their inferior and only associated with them for things they needed. And because transactions often required a transfer of wealth of some kind, the Seken had taken to selling certain items they had that were unique and in demand. They didn’t want to, but it was required to accumulate the credits for the things they wanted. The arrangement irritated the Seken to no end. But still, they tolerated the rest of the species that made up the so-called Seken Federation.
In truth, it wasn’t a federation at all. Instead, it was a conglomeration of worlds within the general vicinity that did business with one another. And it was the Seken who were the most powerful of these worlds. At least until contact was made with the Azloreans. Now, a delicate balance existed, and more on the Azlorean side. They tip-toed around the sensibilities of the Seken, while the Seken didn’t give a damn. For them, what was to be would be. Consequences meant nothing to them, leaving it to the Azloreans to maintain the peace, the status quo.
That was why no one raised much of an issue when a five-person delegation of Seken arrived at the security building, seeking an interview with the Human prisoner, Zac Murphy.
They were directed to the upper levels of the structure and a series of bubbles sitting on top of the lower third of the arch. The Seken came armed with their version of energy weapons, and no one had the nerve to ask them to relinquish the devices. The delegation didn’t volunteer, either.
Even so, the five Humans-in-disguise had to pass through several security checkpoints before gaining access to the holding cell. And just before they entered, an irate Antaerean ran up to them, demanding to know why they wished to speak to his prisoner.
Females were as much a part of Seken society as were the males, so Ashley took the lead. She recognized Kallen Zaphin immediately, and her stomach tightened, hoping the disguise would keep him from knowing the truth. She could see the masks on the others, but it felt so comfortable and natural that she often forgot she had it on.
“Wait! What are you doing?” Kallen yelled. “You have no right to see my prisoner.”
Ashley played the part of an arrogant Seken commander as best she could. She eyed the alien up and down with contempt, insulted that he would question her authority.
“You are not an Azlorean. What are you?” The words were translated into Azloreans, not Antaerean.
“I am Kallen Zaphin, the Tesnin of the Antaere people and Guardian of the Universal Order of Light.”
“What is a Tesnin?”
Kallen blinked several times. “It is the leader, the supreme leader of the planet.”
“You do not look like a leader, supreme or otherwise. You are small and inconsequential. What are you doing on Voris?”
Angus held a snicker, hearing Ashley tease the temperamental alien.
“I have the Human Zac Murphy in my custody. I am removing him soon to join the combined fleet heading for Earth. He is my prisoner.”
“As you have said. We will question him first.”
“Why, why do you want to speak with him?”
Ashley paused while looking down at Kallen, her height accentuated by the lifts in her Seken shoes. “I need no other reason than I want to. But if you insist, it is because we are at war with the Humans. We have had minimal physical contact with them, especially one of such rank. We seek information about their goals and forces within the region. We need to know what plans they have for defense of the Grid. These are all concerns far beyond the purview of the Antaere. This is Seken business. We will enter.”
“You will have plenty of time to question him during the journey to the Grid. Why must you do it now?”
“Because we are here; he is here. We will question the prisoner. Now, step aside before I kill you, Tesnin of the Antaere people.”
Kallen stared into the eyes of the Seken, frowning and cocking his head slightly. Then he stepped aside, allowing an Azlorean guard to unlock the door.
Ashley smirked as she walked past Kallen, with the rest of the team in tow. Once inside, she turned to the guard and told him to shut the door. The interrogation will be private.
Zac was in a chair at a table, looking out at the glistening lights of the city at night. He turned and raised an eyebrow at the strange, purple-skinned aliens as they entered. He’d only seen a few videos of the Seken, but he recognized them immediately.
He sighed. Having the Seken here wasn’t a good thing. There was no bargaining with the bastards, and they would just as soon kill you than give you the time of day. They could be here for a number of reasons; after all, he was a high-valued target and a Human. He had heard the shouting in the hallway, recognizing Kallen’s voice. Now he knew what the fuss was about.
“So, who wants to go first?” he asked.
Kallen rushed down the short corridor and to another bubb
le office. There were two other Antaere there, part of his small entourage. They saw how upset he was but said nothing. This was their Tesnin. He could be upset if he wanted to be. He would call for their help when needed.
Kallen sat at a computer screen and looked up information on the Seken using Azlorean sources. They had more data on the aliens than anyone. He began scanning the information. There was something about the eyes that seemed off. The files would reveal the truth.
Angus stepped up to Zac, who remained seated, looking up at the tall alien.
“You are the creature known as Zac Murphy, a scoundrel and renegade of the highest order.” His voice was low and in English but free of his typical British accent.
“I guess you could say that,” Zac answered, frowning.
“I understand you traditionally travel with a superior Human male, one of exceptional strength, fortitude and stunning good looks. He is called Price, Angus Price.”
Zac when to stand up, but another Seken behind him placed a hand on his shoulder and held him in place. Zac pressed a little harder, but to no avail. Although he’d never met a Seken in person, he was under the impression they weren’t that strong.
“Stay where you are. There may be cameras watching.”
Zac glanced over his shoulder at the young male holding him down. He then jerked his head back to the tall alien in front of him.
“No fucking way!”
“Bugger me, mate, how did you see through the disguises?”
Zac looked around at the others. There were two females and three males. In their disguises, he couldn’t recognize any of them.
The lead female stepped forward. “Stay calm, Zac,” she said. “It’s Ashley. We’ve come to get you out of here.”
“But … but how? How the hell did you get here?”
“It’s a long story. But first things first. We ran into Kallen Zaphin in the hallway. I think he suspects something.”